Then [Jesus] went down to Nazareth with them and was obedient to them. But his mother treasured all these things in her heart. And Jesus grew in wisdom and stature, and in favor with God and man. (Luke 2:51-52 NIV) The best storytellers know they have to provide enough detail so their listeners can form an …
First Coming
While they were there, the time came for the baby to be born, and she gave birth to her firstborn, a son. She wrapped him in cloths and placed him in a manger, because there was no guest room available for them. (Luke 2:6-7 NIV) As we each prepare ourselves for this particular Christmas, I thought …
Snow Days
He who was seated on the throne said, “I am making everything new!” Then he said, “Write this down, for these words are trustworthy and true.” (Revelation 21:5 NRSV) One unforeseen impact of our efforts to adjust to our pandemic reality might just be the death of the snow day. For those of us who are adults, …
Room to Breathe
The spirit of the Lord God is upon me, because the Lord has anointed me; he has sent me to bring good news to the oppressed, to bind up the brokenhearted, to proclaim liberty to the captives, and release to the prisoners; to proclaim the year of the Lord’s …
There is an Acute Shortage
And this was his message: “After me comes the one more powerful than I, the straps of whose sandals I am not worthy to stoop down and untie. (Mark 1:7 NIV) “There is an acute shortage… of toilet paper.” Johnny Carson, the Tonight Show, Dec. 19, 1973 This second week in Advent we are spending …